Winter minerals

jlane35

Well-Known Member
Is there a difference in mineral blocks for winter months and Spring months? Or does everyone run the same basic trace mineral blocks all year?
 
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I wonder how a cattle lick tub would work for deer?
Farm to Farm 20% AN Protein Lick Tub
  • Provides protein to help improve utilization of medium quality forage
  • Safe to be fed to Horses and Goat
  • Provides significant protein, energy along with vitamin and mineral fortification
  • Uses byproducts from locally grown crops
  • Protein supplement from vegetable protein meals for Cattle, Horses and Goats on Pasture
cattle_tub.jpg

Ingredients:
Molasses products, condensed fermented corn extractives, processed grain by-products, plant protein products, calcium hydroxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, salt, monocalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, manganous oxide, manganese sulfate, zinc oxide, zinc sulfate, copper chloride, copper sulfate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate, sodium selenite, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement and vitamin E supplement.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min.) 20%, Crude Fat (min.) 3.75%, Crude Fiber (min.) 5%, Calcium (min.) 5%, Calcium (max.) 6%, Phosphorus (min.) 1%, Salt (min.) 2.25%, Salt (max.) 2.75%, Magnesium (min.) 2.7%, Potassium (min.) 1%, Copper (min.), 70 ppm, Manganese (min.) 180 ppm, Selenium (min.) 3.3 ppm, Zinc (min.) 270 ppm, Vitamin A (min.) 50,000 IU/lb., Vitamin D3 (min.) 5,000 IU/lb., Vitamin E (min.) 20 IU/lb.
 
What happens when it rains or snows and the tub fills with water? I’m not at my place frequently to tip it over and drain it.
 
What happens when it rains or snows and the tub fills with water? I’m not at my place frequently to tip it over and drain it.
I looked at these things, the mineral is shrunk away from the edge of the plastic more than the picture shows, and it would be easy to cut a few more slots around the perimeter. The tubs I looked at had at least one crack in them already, these things are almost too heavy to move.
 
I wonder how a cattle lick tub would work for deer?
Farm to Farm 20% AN Protein Lick Tub
  • Provides protein to help improve utilization of medium quality forage
  • Safe to be fed to Horses and Goat
  • Provides significant protein, energy along with vitamin and mineral fortification
  • Uses byproducts from locally grown crops
  • Protein supplement from vegetable protein meals for Cattle, Horses and Goats on Pasture
cattle_tub.jpg

Ingredients:
Molasses products, condensed fermented corn extractives, processed grain by-products, plant protein products, calcium hydroxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, salt, monocalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, manganous oxide, manganese sulfate, zinc oxide, zinc sulfate, copper chloride, copper sulfate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate, sodium selenite, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement and vitamin E supplement.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min.) 20%, Crude Fat (min.) 3.75%, Crude Fiber (min.) 5%, Calcium (min.) 5%, Calcium (max.) 6%, Phosphorus (min.) 1%, Salt (min.) 2.25%, Salt (max.) 2.75%, Magnesium (min.) 2.7%, Potassium (min.) 1%, Copper (min.), 70 ppm, Manganese (min.) 180 ppm, Selenium (min.) 3.3 ppm, Zinc (min.) 270 ppm, Vitamin A (min.) 50,000 IU/lb., Vitamin D3 (min.) 5,000 IU/lb., Vitamin E (min.) 20 IU/lb.

I have seen deer use these, but it takes them a minute to figure it out and there has always been cattle around using it. I’m guessing it’s a monkey see, monkey do type of situation and I don’t know how long it took the deer to figure it out.


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I saw an antelope using one of those tubs when I was bowhunting antelope in Wyoming. He was slobbering big bubbles of brown goo and it was funny as hell !

Those tubs would last about fifteen minutes on my place after the hogs found them. :D
 
I tried two of those tubs, and deer used them very little. Mine were small enough to lift - less than 100 pounds.

PS - the ones that I used were easy to remove from the tub. Just slammed them with a hammer or shovel and they came right out. That way there is no worry of the tub filling with water.
 
I doubt that it's necessary. Nature has them slow down their metabolism during the cold months. The embryo suspends growth until spring . They expend less energy ,bed near food eat and find places in shelter to conserve energy. They are different animals in January. Illinois had a January doe season in some counties. They are herded up. Don't move much. I've watched mineral stations be untouched during dead of winter. I don't bother
 
The embryo suspends growth until spring .

I'm not sure what you mean by suspend embryo growth until next spring. The doe we take in the January antlerless season have had well developed, small but miniature deer looking fetuses in them when we field dress them. They are about 5 or 6" at that time. That's a lot of growth from conception.

I've watched mineral stations be untouched during dead of winter.

The deer on our farms hit the mineral licks year round, I have cams on them from August through at least April. When I refresh them in January after the last season is over they are hit hard all the way through that time. The brand I use is not an attractant, nor heavy on salt, it's one of it least amount of ingredients.
 
I'm not sure what you mean by suspend embryo growth until next spring. The doe we take in the January antlerless season have had well developed, small but miniature deer looking fetuses in them when we field dress them. They are about 5 or 6" at that time. That's a lot of growth from conception.



The deer on our farms hit the mineral licks year round, I have cams on them from August through at least April. When I refresh them in January after the last season is over they are hit hard all the way through that time. The brand I use is not an attractant, nor heavy on salt, it's one of it least amount of ingredients.
The embryo's I've recovered mid January have been an inch long. Google it. Your population may be different. For my area I find this article is spot on with my experience.

https://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/big-game-hunting/whitetail-deer/how-deer-survive-winter-weather
 
The embryo's I've recovered mid January have been an inch long. Google it. Your population may be different. For my area I find this article is spot on with my experience.

https://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/big-game-hunting/whitetail-deer/how-deer-survive-winter-weather

That article talks nothing about does slowing down their embryo development. It talks about how deer in general survive harsh winters and slow their metabolism down to survive on the limited groceries they have access to in cold conditions.

I googled white tailed deer embryonic development and found nothing of the sort concerning embryonic growth suspension. Do you have another source that speaks directly to this assertion?
 
Your right. I'm wrong. What I read says embryo growth slows way down during winter and goes into high gear in spring green up. 7.5 to 9 months gestation. Never stops. Doe in poor health will absorb the zygote. Thanks to you I learned something.
 
Doe, thanks for encouraging me to google it, I also learned something new, there is an animal that can slow their embyo developement way down greatly and delay/elongate its gestation period considerably. I don't recollect the name of it, as I was intent on finding the info you described. I may have to go back an look for it specifically.
 
Most of the buck on the bag minerals contain high amounts of salt and thats the only reason deer use them and they do nothing or very little for the deer.In fact I would bet that you could put out unlimited formulated for deer minerals and you would not notice any difference in growth of antler rates.If they were lacking in the area they are in and they were low salt they might help with overall body health. If I provided supplement it would be high protein food during fawning and antler growth.
 
Most of the buck on the bag minerals contain high amounts of salt and thats the only reason deer use them and they do nothing or very little for the deer.In fact I would bet that you could put out unlimited formulated for deer minerals and you would not notice any difference in growth of antler rates.If they were lacking in the area they are in and they were low salt they might help with overall body health. If I provided supplement it would be high protein food during fawning and antler growth.
Pretty much in line with my observations. I try to set the table for spring forward. Hinge some maples in January to put food on the ground. If the maples are untouched you can pretty much bet they are finding enough browse else where.
 
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